Attention Inklings! Splatoon 3 is coming to a Nintendo Switch near you on September 9th and Nintendo released an ocean of information this week in a 30-minute Splatoon 3 Direct! From new characters to new game mode, Nintendo splatted fans with plenty of reasons to be pumped for its release. So take a deep breath and let’s dive into what all was shown.
Characters: Splatoon 3 is practically swimming with new and returning characters. NPCs old and new are everywhere, from Splatoon 1’s Callie and Marie to Judd and Li’l Judd at Turf War. Mr. Grizz, Sheldon, and Murch are there too waiting to say hey. After checking in on your favorite familiar faces, go say hello to the hosts of Splatlands news: Frye, Shiver, and Big Man! Buy clothes from Jel La Fleur, hats from Gnarly Eddy, shoes from Mr. Coco, and customization items from Harmony. And for all the players, jump straight into playing as an Octoling from the start if that’s what you prefer!
Game Modes: Not surprisingly, Turf War is once again front and center in Splatoon 3! While it may be the biggest pool to swim in, Turf War is not the only way to spend time in Splatsville. Prove your worth in the new ranked mode called Anarchy Battles consisting of rotating match types of Splat Zones, Tower Control, Rainmaker, and Clam Blitz. Jump into Salmon Run featuring new bosses and the all new Big Run mode. League Battles will make their return sometime after launch, and high ranking players in Anarchy Battles will get to be part of something called X Battles. Still not seeing a mode that interests you? Well how about a trading card game? Yep, Splatoon 3 even has its own TCG. Get your in-game starter deck and start competing in 1v1 TCG turf wars!
Gameplay: Maps, maps, maps, maps! Splatoon 3 has a lot of new maps coming out of the box, with cool names like Eeltail Alley and Hagglefish Market. To not disappoint, there’s a ton of returning maps as well to give a nice mix of old and new. If that’s not enough, there are plans to add more stages in free updates down the road. Equip any of your favorite basic weapons from Splatoon 1 and 2 or try any of the new ones, like the katana-windshield wiper weapon called the Splatana. There are new special weapons galore as well, such as the Tacticooler, the Inkjet, and the Booyah Bomb. Now move around the map with 2 new movement abilities as well! Squid Surge lets you swim up walls and Squid Roll to quickly turn around while doing a sweet flip.
Plus More: The lobby in Splatoon 3 is a world all its own. Players can run around this physical space between matches while waiting for new ones to load. There’s a weapon range and ghost versions of your friends running around so you can see what they are up to, join them in games, watch replays, and check out the Locker Room. Customize your own locker in the Locker Room to show off game photos and cool gear you’ve unlocked. Check out your friends’ lockers or the lockers of folks you’ve played with recently. Here you can also buy the latest in customization options from the catalog. Outside of the Lobby, there’s also the return of SplatNet for voice chat, game records, and even a new mini-game.
Splatoon 3 is launching with so much new content to go along with a flood of classic content that new and returning players should be happy for years to come. Can’t wait to play? Be sure to check out Splatfest on Aug 27 to play the game before it releases! All you need is a NIntendo Switch to jump in with everyone else. Oh and one last thing, there’s also 3 new Splatoon 3 Amiibos coming this holiday! Splatoon 3 is delivering in every way fans could imagine and Nintendo has to be happy with the hype surrounding this soon-to-be new release.
Image from: Nintendo
